


Love Is Worth It In The End

by realityisoverrated



Series: Infinite Love [33]
Category: Arrow (TV 2012)
Genre: Angst, Canon-Typical Violence, F/M, Homophobia, M/M, Polyamory, Polyfidelity, Smoaking billionaires, Strong Language, Toliver, flommy, olicity - Freeform
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2016-06-11
Updated: 2016-06-11
Packaged: 2018-07-14 10:05:47
Rating: Mature
Warnings: Graphic Depictions Of Violence
Chapters: 1
Words: 9,157
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/7166780
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/realityisoverrated/pseuds/realityisoverrated
Summary: <blockquote class="userstuff">
              <p>Felicity and Tommy learn that not everyone is supportive of their relationship. Will Oliver be able to reach them in time to prevent a tragedy?</p>
            </blockquote>





	Love Is Worth It In The End

**Author's Note:**

> This story depicts a polyamorous relationship between one woman and two men. If this is not something you are interested in, please stop and go no further.
> 
> There is violence and homophobic language in this installment. If this could be a trigger for you, please do not read.
> 
> Thank you for all of your kudos and comments. I'm still writing in this universe because of your enthusiastic support. 
> 
> I'm not telling this series in chronological order. Some readers have requested that I provide a chronological order for the fics in the series. There is no need to read them in chronological order, but in case you'd like to the list is below.  
> 1\. Beautiful Stranger (Part 28)  
> 2\. The First Time (Part 1)  
> 3\. The Italian Restaurant (Part 3)  
> 4\. Do The Hustle (Part 21)  
> 5\. Wherever You Are, There I Am (Part 8)  
> 6\. Perfect (Part 16)  
> 7\. Practical Jokes and Other Misunderstandings (Part 14)  
> 8\. Cobble Hill (Part 4)  
> 9\. House Warming (Part 15)  
> 10\. 30 (Part 30)  
> 11\. Twenty Questions Over Brunch (Part 11)  
> 12\. Hildy (Part 5)  
> 13\. Burgers & Lies (Part 9)  
> 14\. You Say You Want A Revolution (Part 22)  
> 15\. Look Me In The Eye And Make Me Feel The Truth (Part 12)  
> 16\. Fight Night (Part 20)  
> 17\. Into Thin Air (Part 17)  
> 18\. It’s Just Like Falling (Part 27)  
> 19\. Will You Still Love Me, Tomorrow? (Part 7)  
> 20\. Life With The Arrow (Part 23)  
> 21\. Up All Night (Part 6)  
> 22\. Welcome Home (Part 10)  
> 23\. Better Than Chocolate Chip Banana Pancakes (Part 24)  
> 24\. Home Is Where You Are (Part 2)  
> 25\. Somebody Get A Hammer (Part 26)  
> 26\. Three (Part 13)  
> 27\. Life Lived In The Tabloids (Part 18)  
> 28\. Tokyo Calling (Part 25)  
> 29\. Prudence Chastity (Part 19)  
> 30\. Love Is Worth It In The End (Part 33)  
> 31\. The Drop Out (Part 32)  
> 32\. William (Part 29)  
> 33\. Hold On For One More Day (Part 31)
> 
> Welcome to any new readers who have stumbled into this universe. The more the merrier.
> 
> Arrow and its characters do not belong to me.

Artwork by Lademonessa

 

Tommy slowly climbed the staircase to the second story with the hope that Felicity would miraculously be ready to go by the time he reached their bedroom door. "Felicity, my love, my friend, my very beautiful wife, we are going to be late and it is bad form to arrive after the bride."

"I'm almost ready," Felicity called out from their bathroom.

"You said that five minutes ago," Tommy reminded her as he walked into their bedroom.

"I smudged my eye and I had to start over," Felicity explained.

"Well, I don't think the bride will," Tommy was rendered speechless by his wife. She was in a strapless empire waist sapphire chiffon gown and her hair was up in an elegant chignon. After six years, she still took his breath away, "You look beautiful."

She laughed, "I know that look. We're late, remember."

Tommy inched closer to her, "They won't miss us. We were only invited because they expect us to write a big check."

"Jack Dennis will notice if we aren't at his daughter's wedding," Felicity patted Tommy's chest as she returned to their bedroom.

Tommy came up behind Felicity and put his arms around her waist. He kissed the spot where her neck met her shoulder and he smiled when she shivered. He wasn't above using her cheat code, "We can be there by the cocktail hour and I'll add another zero to the check."

Felicity's head fell against Tommy's shoulder, "Jack already dislikes Oliver."

"Which is why I'm going to this boring shindig instead of Ollie," Tommy continued his assault on her neck and shoulders.

"We really can't afford to alienate another board member." Felicity tapped the other side of her neck to redirect Tommy's kisses, "Jack barely tolerates me."

"I'll add two more zeros," his fingers trailed along her sides.

Felicity turned in his arms and pulled on the ends of his bow tie, "No touching my hair."

"Wouldn't dream of it," Tommy unzipped Felicity's gown and helped her to step out of it.

 

Felicity smiled politely at the other wedding guests as she waited for Tommy to return from the bar. Jack Dennis hadn't spared a dime in throwing his daughter's lavish wedding. The Fairmont Hotel had been transformed into a veritable fairyland. Soft twinkling lights decorated the gardens and patio where the cocktail reception was being held. A glass was placed in front of her on the high top table and was followed by Tommy's warm hand on her hip.

"You look lost in thought," Tommy kissed her shoulder.

She rested her hand against his stomach, "The lights remind me of our wedding day."

Tommy's face lit up, "You were a much more beautiful bride."

Felicity laughed, "We haven't even seen the bride yet."

Tommy kissed her left hand, "I don't need to see her to know that my wife is the more beautiful bride."

She tilted her head up and Tommy obliged her with a kiss. "And here I've been wondering how it is you convinced me to be late to this wedding."

Tommy smirked, "I don't remember you needing much convincing."

"All this time and I'm still defenseless to your charms," Felicity teased.

He held out his hand, "Dance with me."

Felicity slipped her hand in his and looked around. A string ensemble was playing, but no one was dancing, "It's the cocktail hour. No one dances during the cocktail hour."

"Humor a husband," Tommy led her further into the gardens and away from the other guests. He found a secluded grotto, fragrant with roses and the peaceful sound of a gurgling fountain. He twirled Felicity before taking her into his arms. The music from the party had disappeared and they swayed to a rhythm Tommy set. He began to sing softly, " _It had to be you. It had to be you. I wandered around, and finally found, somebody who, could make me be true, could make me feel blue, or even be glad, just to be sad, thinking of you_."

Felicity closed her eyes as Tommy danced with her in the moonlight. His clear voice singing sweetly in her ear. The warm spring evening was fragrant with freshly blooming flowers and she could smell night jasmine on the gentle breeze. She'd be content to spend the entire evening hidden away in Tommy's arms instead of making polite small talk with Starling's elite. She looked up to find Tommy smiling dreamily at her and she couldn't resist kissing him, "What if we find Jack and we give him the envelope in your jacket so we can get out of here?"

"Nothing would make me happier," Tommy kissed the tip of her nose, "but I'm pretty sure if the soon to be CEO of Queen Consolidated doesn't make an appearance at dinner you and Ollie are going to get grief on Monday."

Felicity frowned, "I hate it when you're all grown up and responsible."

He nodded sympathetically, "I know, but someone called me a good influence once and I feel like I have to live up to that."

"I wish I knew who that was, so I could give her a piece of my mind," Felicity smoothed the lapels of his jacket.

"If I remember her name, I'll let you know." Tommy laced his fingers through hers, "You feeling okay?"

She smiled, "I'm feeling good."

"Good," he kissed her chastely, "we'll stay until dinner is over and then we'll get out of here."

"I like that plan." Her purse began to vibrate and she retrieved her cell, "Our husband would like to know if we're having a good time?"

"I bet he does," Tommy said sarcastically. "He is probably bragging to Dig and Roy about how scowling at Jack Dennis in board meetings for the past five years has finally paid off and gotten him out of one social occasion."

Felicity sent Oliver a quick text to tell him that they were fine and having a lovely evening. She laced her fingers back through Tommy's, "He might be getting out of this wedding, but he's not the one who got lucky tonight."

Tommy grinned, "That is true."

"If you continue to play your cards right," Felicity winked, "you might get lucky again."

Tommy began to hum, _Luck Be A Lady_ , as he escorted her back to the reception.

 

Tommy held Felicity's hand as they walked to the valet stand. There was a slight chill to the night air and Tommy stopped to remove his tuxedo jacket. "I was thinking," he told her as he slipped the jacket onto her, "that since you didn't have any wine tonight and we left before the cake you might like some ice cream."

Felicity's eyes went wide, "Oh, The Creamery is so close."

"I'll take that as a yes," his eyes twinkled with amusement. He looked down at her feet, "Feel like walking or should we take the car?"

Felicity linked her arm with his, "It's a beautiful night, let's walk."

The walk to The Creamery was quick and Tommy watched with delight as Felicity did a happy dance in her chair as she ate her mint chip ice cream. There were times when he couldn't believe that his life was his own. After his mom died, he never thought he'd know what happiness was again. He couldn't believe that he'd somehow managed to build a life that made him content.

"You have your goofy grin going on," Felicity held out a spoonful of ice cream.

He opened his mouth and Felicity fed him the last bite of her mint chip. "I was just thinking how happy I am. How happy you and Ollie make me."

"I'm glad I make you happy," she gave him a quick kiss. "You make me happy - especially when you feed me ice cream."

Tommy gathered Felicity's trash, "I figured out long ago that ice cream was the way to your heart."

"And singing," she playfully poked his stomach, "don't forget the singing."

Tommy draped his arm around her shoulder and pulled her in tight against his side. She wrapped both of her arms around his waist as they walked back towards the hotel to get their car. "I was thinking," Tommy said, "that we could go to the fashion and women in power exhibit at the museum tomorrow."

Felicity scrunched her nose, "I really want to see that."

"I'm feeling a but coming," Tommy teased.

"But, I have some night time searches I need to do and since I'm not doing them tonight," she sighed, "I'm sorry."

"Don't apologize, your night time activities are part of what I love about you." The hairs on the back of Tommy's neck rose. A quick glance at a reflection in a store window revealed that they were being followed by five men. He picked up their pace a little. Felicity could move surprisingly fast in heels. She dropped the arm she was holding across Tommy's stomach and took a quick look behind them. She picked up her speed when she saw the men following them.

They were a little more than two blocks away from the hotel. It was a busy part of the city, but the block they were on was fairly quiet. All of the businesses on the street had been shuttered earlier in the evening.

"Hey, faggot," one of the men shouted at Tommy.

Felicity's fingers flexed against Tommy's hip and he squeezed her shoulder, "Just keep walking. They're just drunk."

"I'm talking to you faggot," the man's friends laughed in encouragement. "You're Tommy Merlyn, aren't you?"

"He's out with his woman tonight," one of the other men slurred. "Hey sweetie, want to know what it's like to be with a real man?"

"Where's Queen? Queen is a queen," a third man laughed at his own joke.

Felicity dropped her arm from Tommy's waist and opened her purse. She pushed her panic button, but knew that unless Oliver was patrolling nearby, he wasn't close enough to help if these men decided to make real trouble. She wasn't paying attention to where she was stepping and her heel got caught in a crack in the pavement. Tommy was able to keep her from falling but it stopped their forward movement and allowed the men to catch up to them. The men parted around them and walked ahead.

Tommy's focus remained on Felicity, "Are you all right?"

Felicity tested her weight on her ankle. She felt a twinge, but she was prepared to ignore it, "I'm fine." Tommy laced his fingers with hers, crossed the street and they resumed walking towards the hotel.

"What I don't understand," one of the men turned around to face them as he walked backwards, "is that if you have a beautiful woman like this at home, what do you need Queen for?"

"What? She won't take it in the ass for you?" the man who fancied himself the group comedian asked. "Is that why you need Queen?"

"You think Queen takes it in the ass?" one of the men who up to this point had remained silent. "I think pretty boy Merlyn here is the one who likes it in the ass."

Tommy's hand tightened around Felicity's and his jaw clenched. Felicity tugged on his hand gently, "Don't." She had no doubt that Tommy could take one or two of these men, but even Oliver would find five men hard to take on in a wide open space.

One of the men crossed the street and put himself in Tommy's path, "You don't have anything to say?"

"My wife and I are out enjoying the evening," Tommy said with an easy grin, "we're not looking for a conversation or trouble."

"Your wife?" The man scoffed? "Does that make Queen your husband?"

Tommy ignored the man and attempted to lead Felicity around him, but the man moved to block Tommy's path, "That's too bad, cause I have questions. You rich people think that just because you're rich you can be perverts and get away with it."

Tommy stepped in front of Felicity and gave the best impression of Oliver's Arrow voice that Felicity had ever heard, "Get out of our way. I won't ask again."

All of the men started laughing and crossed the street. The man in front of Tommy asked, "Big words, faggot, what're you going to do about it?" Tommy took a step forward, but the man shoved him, "I told you we weren't done asking questions."

"Maybe your pretty little wife can answer some questions," another man leered. "What do you say sweetheart? If you like being fucked by two men, how would you like to be fucked by five?" The man reached for Felicity.

Tommy moved quickly and punched the guy who'd tried to touch Felicity squarely on the jaw. The man dropped to his knees and Tommy kicked him in the head, knocking him to the ground unconscious before the other four men could react. "Go to the hotel," Tommy shouted to her as the men approached him. Sensing her hesitancy, he became more forceful, "Get the hell out of here, now."

Tommy threw another punch at the ring leader and ducked the flying fist of a different man. Felicity didn't want to leave Tommy, but she knew there was nothing she could do to help him if she stayed there. She needed to find help. She pulled her cell from her purse and dialed 911 as she ran towards the hotel. The call had just connected when one of the men grabbed her arm. She pulled free from his grip, just as Dig taught her, but she lost her balance on her teetering heels and fell backwards. Her back hit the side of a building before her head did.

 

Felicity's panic signal had sent Oliver into a sprint to where he'd parked his Ducati. He and Roy had been scoping out a new drug distributor in town and they were sitting on the roof talking about the prior night's Rocket's game. They ignored every traffic signal as Dig directed them to Felicity's location. Calls to Tommy and Felicity were going unanswered and a sick hollow feeling was spreading throughout Oliver's body. In the almost eight years Felicity had known he was the Arrow, she'd never pressed her panic button. They had to be in serious trouble for her to make that decision now. His first thought was that someone had decided to make a statement against the wealthy of Starling who were attending the wedding at the Fairmont, but Dig informed him that Felicity's signal was coming from two blocks from the hotel.

He wasn't sure if he was expecting an attempted kidnapping when he arrived on the scene, but he definitely wasn't expecting to see a group of men kicking a man he feared was Tommy. Felicity was slumped on the ground unmoving. His bike had barely come to a complete stop before he let fly his first Arrow. He gave no warning, as rage guided his bow. In a matter of seconds, Oliver and Roy had put at least one arrow into each of the men, all of whom were on the ground writhing.

"Check Tommy," Oliver shouted to Roy as he ran for Felicity. "Dig, call ambulances."

"Police and paramedics have already been dispatched. They'll be there in less than a minute," Dig said calmly over the comm.

Oliver removed a glove with his teeth as he dropped to his knees by Felicity's side and felt for a pulse. He let go of a breath he didn't even realize he was holding when her pulse was steady and her breathing even beneath his fingers, "Felicity. Open your eyes."

Oliver flinched in surprise when a paramedic knelt by his side. He hadn't heard the sirens approach or Dig shouting in his ear. The paramedic pried open one of Felicity's eyelids and shined a pen light into them. "How long has she been unconscious?" the paramedic asked Oliver.

"I don't know," Oliver squeezed Felicity's hand, "she was like this when I got here. Is she all right?" Oliver asked barely above a whisper.

"We need to determine why she lost consciousness," the paramedic explained.

"She needs to get to the hospital," Oliver said gruffly.

"More ambulances are on the way, but people with arrows sticking out of them tend to get all the attention."

Oliver looked at the scene unfolding around him. Tommy was on a stretcher being loaded into the back of an ambulance. Three other paramedics were working on the men he and Roy had dropped. Roy was across the street, hidden in the shadows watching Felicity. "Please," Oliver grasped the arm of the paramedic, "she's nineteen weeks pregnant."

The paramedic lifted his head, "Did she tell you that?"

"Oliver," Felicity moaned as her fingers flexed around his.

He was about to respond to her when Captain Lance hauled him to his feet, "Are you crazy, get the hell out of here." He shoved Oliver towards his bike, "She doesn't need you, she needs Queen."

"Captain," Oliver started arguing.

"I'll take her to the hospital myself." Lance shoved him again, "Go, now!"

Oliver sprinted to his bike and began to calculate how long it would take him to get to the foundry, change and back to the hospital. Too long. "Dig," he pleaded.

"I'm already on my way."

 

Felicity slipped on the hospital's linoleum floor and she landed on her knees. She reached for the closest chair and pulled herself back onto her feet. She contemplated taking her heels off for a total of two seconds before she decided walking around a hospital barefoot was probably a really good way to get a flesh eating disease. Her right ankle protested when she put her full weight on it, but the pain would have to wait. She made it to the Emergency Room's reception desk without further incident. A woman of about fifty was on the phone and didn't look up at Felicity's approach. The conversation didn't sound remotely professional and Felicity quickly lost patience. The flat of her hand slammed onto the top of the desk, "I need to know where Thomas Merlyn is."

The woman raised her eyes and held up one finger, but continued her conversation. Felicity's vision narrowed and the sound of blood rushed through her ears. She reached across the desk and disconnected the woman's call, "Tommy Merlyn, now."

The receptionist looked as if she was going to snap at Felicity, but the wild look on the blonde's face made her reconsider. She turned her attention to her computer screen, "Are you related to Mr. Merlyn."

Felicity nodded her head, "I'm his wife, Felicity Smoak."

"Mr. Merlyn has been taken into surgery," the receptionist wrote something on a piece of paper and slid it over to Felicity, "you can wait there for the doctors."

Felicity took the paper with a trembling hand. If he was in surgery, he was alive and he had a chance. She hadn't lost him, not yet. "Thank you," she smiled weakly.

She took a step away from the desk and the floor pitched beneath her. A strong pair of arms grabbed hold of her and she found herself looking into the eyes of her step-father, "Are you crazy jumping out of a car before it comes to a complete stop?" He narrowed his eyes, "Are you all right?"    

"I'm fine, Detective," Felicity closed her eyes in an attempt to get the room to stop spinning, "I mean, Captain."

Lance scooped her into his arms, “My daughter needs a doctor," he bellowed. “I don’t know who your mother is going to kill first, you or me.”

She opened her eyes and squeezed his arms, "Really, I'm fine. I need to go wait for Tommy."

"Right now, you're the victim I'm worried about," Lance said as he followed a nurse towards the exam rooms. He gently lowered her onto an exam table and looked at her with concern, "Your head's bleeding. What's the last thing you remember?"

Felicity brought a hand to her head and flinched. Her fingers were covered in blood. She looked down at herself and was surprised to see that she was dressed in the blue gown she'd purchased to wear to the Dennis wedding. The dress was filthy and she suddenly remembered dancing with Tommy in the gardens of the Fairmont and eating mint chip ice cream. "We were returning to the hotel to get our car when five men started in on Tommy and me." She began to cry, "Where's Tommy? Where's Oliver?"

Lance squeezed her fingers, "The docs are working on Tommy now and Oliver's on his way. Everything is going to be fine, kiddo. I promise. Let the doc take a look at you."

Ten minutes later her exam room door flew open and revealed a wild looking Oliver. "Felicity," he said with a sigh of relief.

Felicity sat up and Oliver's arms were instantly around her. She buried her face against his chest and took in the comforting smell that was his cologne, leather and the lingering scent of an explosive arrow. She tightened her grip on his back, "How's Tommy? No one will tell me anything." She tried to swing her legs over the side of the bed.

Oliver took hold of her legs and swung them back onto the bed, "He's in surgery and you're not going anywhere until the doctor says you can."

She cocked her head to the side, "You're not seriously telling me that I have to listen to a doctor?"

He ran a hand over his head, "I'd like a doctor to tell me that you and our baby are okay."

As if he'd been summoned by Oliver's words a doctor entered the room, "I'm Doctor Matthews," he greeted Oliver.  The doctor waved a penlight in front of Felicity's eyes, "The obstetrician on call is on her way."

"Is Felicity all right?" Oliver laced his fingers with Felicity's.

"Other than the concussion, a sprained ankle and the need for ten stitches on the back of her head, she's fine. Once she finishes that bag of fluids, we get a look at a CT scan and the OB signs off, we can release her. Someone will need to keep an eye on her for the next twenty-four hours." The doctor smiled gently at Felicity. "I need to numb your head so we can stitch you up." He spread something cold against her scalp, "We'll take care of your stitches once the OB finishes her exam."

“No, CT scan,” Felicity said firmly.

“The radiation is minimal and not a threat to your baby since we will be looking at your head,” the doctor explained.

“I don’t care. I’m not willing to risk it,” Felicity said with finality.

“Felicity,” Oliver said as he watched the doctor for his reaction.

“I said, no.”

“Doc?” Oliver asked, “What’s the risk of not doing the CT scan?”

“It’s precautionary to make sure that there isn’t any bleeding on the brain. Felicity has been lucid since she regained consciousness. I don’t have any reason to believe there is bleeding, but I’d like to keep her overnight for observation if she isn’t going to have the CT scan.”

Felicity opened her mouth to protest, but changed her mind at the look she received from Oliver. “Will I be able to see my husband? He’s in surgery.”

The doctor looked at Oliver in confusion before replying, “I think we can arrange for you to be admitted and observed in the waiting area.”

“Thank you,” Oliver said.

“I’ll be back shortly to do your stitches,” he said with a smile and then left Oliver and Felicity alone.

“I’m going to call your mom,” Lance kissed Felicity’s cheek before leaving the room.

The door opened again and a cheerful woman pushing an ultrasound machine entered the room, "Felicity, I'm Dr. Pizzo. How are you feeling?"

"A bit of a headache," Felicity answered truthfully.

"Any cramping?" the doctor asked as she prepared the ultrasound machine.

"No," Felicity responded trying to keep the fear out of her voice.

"That's good. Whenever a mom takes a fall we like to make sure everything is okay. Your womb is kind of like an airbag and cushioned your baby - so this is more to reassure you. Are you the dad?" the doctor asked Oliver kindly.

Oliver cleared his throat, "Yeah."

"Okay, dad. I'm going to need you to sit down before you pass out. You're looking a little pale."

Felicity looked up at Oliver and the doctor was right, he looked like he was about to fall over, "Oliver, are you okay?"

Oliver sat down heavily in the chair next to Felicity's bed, "Yeah, just worried about you and the baby."

"I was going to do my internal exam first, but I think we should take a peek at your baby first," the doctor lowered Felicity's blanket and pulled her gown up until her abdomen showed. "This will be cold," the doctor warned before squirting gel onto Felicity's stomach.

Oliver clutched Felicity's hand between his as they both anxiously watched the monitor. Felicity began to cry when she heard the reassuring whooshing noise that was their baby's heart, "The baby's okay?"

"The little one is looking good. Here's an arm and the baby's head. Looks like he or she is sucking their thumb," the doctor pointed to the monitor. "Your nineteen weeks along, would you like to know the baby's sex?"

"No," Oliver responded, "we want to be surprised."

The doctor smiled at them, "Surprises are good."

"Can I just listen to the baby's heartbeat for another minute?" Felicity asked.

"Absolutely." The doctor looked to the monitor as she moved the wand around, "Let's make your mommy feel better."

Felicity closed her eyes as she listened to her child's heart beat. She thought of Tommy laying somewhere in surgery and tried to imagine the sound of his heart beating a steady rhythm. She needed Tommy to be okay. Her heart raced at the thought that she could lose him.

"Any chance we can get a picture?" Oliver asked the doctor hopefully. "I know someone who will be really happy to see it when he wakes up."

After the doctor printed out three copies of their baby's ultrasound pictures she shook their hands, "Good luck mom and dad."

"Thank you," Oliver and Felicity responded together.

A half hour later, Dr. Matthews had finished putting in Felicity's last stitch, "Someone will be in shortly to complete your admittance papers. Do you have any questions for me?"

Felicity shook her head, "Thank you, doctor."

Oliver extended his hand to the doctor, "Yes, thank you."

As soon as the doctor left the room, Felicity unhooked herself from the I.V.," Hand me my dress."

"Felicity, you're not done with your fluids yet," Oliver admonished.

She eyed the bag that was still a quarter full, "Close enough." She stood up on shaky legs and moved to the chair that had her dress and bra, "Tommy needs us."

Oliver took her shoulders and gently steered her back to the bed, "Felicity."

She pushed against his chest, "Oliver, I can't just sit here waiting for a bag of fluids to drain and for some hospital administrator to get their act together."

He scooped her into his arms and placed her back onto the bed. He picked up her IV and reattached it to her arm, "We're going to have to wait and if we're going to wait, I'd rather do it where you're getting some medical attention." She opened her mouth to speak, but he cut her off before she could, "Damn it, Felicity. I can't help Tommy right now, let me help you."

She relaxed against the pillow, "Okay. I'll wait for the fluids to finish. If they haven’t admitted me by then, they can come find me in the waiting room."

"Thank you," he kissed the top of her head and gave silent thanks to a God he stopped believing in a long time ago.

 

Oliver listened in shock as Felicity recounted what happened to Captain Lance. He wasn't naive. He knew people strongly disagreed with their lifestyle, but he never imagined someone would attack his spouses without him being there to protect them. She sat perfectly straight with her hands clenched in her lap and her eyes fixed on a sign above Lance's head as she spoke. Oliver knew she was doing her best not to break down so she could be as specific as possible. He wanted to reach out and comfort her, but he knew the moment he touched her, her carefully built wall would crumble.

He could hear Thea crying softly and Roy and Donna trying to comfort her. Dig stood at the entrance to the waiting room keeping a silent vigil over his friends. There was a part of Oliver that wished that he hadn't put an arrow through Tommy and Felicity's assailants so he could be out on the streets beating them to within an inch of their lives. He’d never been any good at waiting. He was going to climb the walls waiting for news on Tommy.

"We've arrested the five men who attacked you," Lance said to Felicity. "If you're up to it tomorrow, we'll need you to look at some photos and see if you can pick them out."

"The Arrow shot them," Thea snapped, "so just look for the guys with arrows sticking out of them."

"Thea," Oliver cautioned, "the Captain is just following procedure. We want these guys in jail."

"Will you be able to bring the photos here?" Felicity asked softly. "I'm not leaving Tommy."

“I can do that,” Lance squeezed her hand.

"Thea, would you and Donna mind helping Felicity change into the clothes you brought?" Oliver asked his justifiably angry sister.

Thea's face softened, "Sure." She held out her hand and Felicity took it, "I brought you comfy clothes. I didn’t think you’d want to wear a hospital gown."

Oliver and Lance watched as the three women disappeared. As soon as they were out of sight Oliver turned to the Captain, "Do you know anything about these guys?"

Lance sighed, "They all have records for assault and battery. Three of them have records for attacking men outside of gay bars."

"So, why aren't they in jail?" Roy asked angrily. "Those sound like hate crimes to me."

"Felicity wanted me to tell you to expect footage of the assault," Dig told Lance.

Lance shook his head, "I won't ask where she got it from."

Dig shrugged and played innocent, "I don't even know what she's talking about."

"I'll be back later to check on Tommy." Lance stood up, "Right now I want to make sure these guys make it to central booking tonight. Although, one of them is going to require surgery. Turns out that our boy’s got one hell of a right hook. He broke the bastard's jaw," Lance grinned.

"Thank you, Captain," Oliver shook Lance's hand.

As soon as Lance was gone, Oliver turned to Dig, "You have footage of the attack?"

"I do. There are cameras all over that street," Dig handed Oliver his phone.

Oliver watched the grainy video and his stomach roiled as he watched Felicity get knocked out and Tommy put up one hell of a fight before their superior numbers dropped him to the ground. Oliver handed the phone back to Dig, "Where's Roy?"

"He decided to wait outside the ladies' room," Dig informed him. "Are you all right? The video is tough to watch."

Oliver sat in silence for several moments, "Tommy's dad liked to hit him. In elementary school, he'd show up to school without any bruises but his eyes would be red from crying. By the time we got to high school, he started showing up with bruises on his face. I could never understand how Malcolm could hit Tommy. It's like kicking a puppy. All he ever wanted was to be loved by his dad and Malcolm twisted that."

"Yeah, I got to see that up close in Nanda Parbat," Dig said with disgust.

"Even after everything he's been through, he is always nice to everyone - it doesn't matter who they are. I was a dick back then. If you weren't in our group, then I didn't have time for you - but that was never Tommy's way. I asked him once why he was talking to someone that I considered a loser and he told me, it doesn't cost anything to be nice. It was something his mom used to say and I guess it stuck with him." Oliver took a deep breath as he wiped his eyes on his sleeve, "He shouldn't be fighting for his life because those five men decided that he wasn't good enough. If they met him watching a game, they'd have bought him a beer because they'd have seen what a great guy he is. Everybody loves Tommy."

Dig placed his hand on Oliver's back, "No one deserves what happened to Tommy tonight, but you're right, Tommy is too nice a guy for anyone to hurt."

Roy had reappeared and sat down next to Oliver, "He's probably going to want to pay their medical bills."

A small laugh escaped Oliver. He wiped his eyes again, "You're right and we'll probably fight about it too."

"The girls will be back in a few minutes." Roy rolled his eyes, "Thea told me to stop hovering."

"The joys of marriage," Dig smiled, "right kid?"

Roy's face lit up for a second before he became serious, "Marriage isn't so bad."

"You should really put that on a greeting card, Harper," Thea teased as she sat down next to her husband.

Oliver looked around for Felicity. She was standing by the information desk speaking to the attendant. Oliver excused himself from the group and walked towards Felicity. He could hear her thanking the woman behind the desk and he waited for Felicity to approach him. She walked straight into his arms and rested her head against his chest, "She said the doctor should be out soon to speak to us. I asked her to define soon, but I couldn't even get her to narrow it down from one second to infinity. If I know it's going to be another five hours, I can prepare myself for that - but not knowing - I keep imagining the worst."

"Hey," Oliver led her to an empty portion of the waiting room, "don't give up on him. He's a fighter and he'll fight through this." Oliver placed his hand on Felicity's stomach, "He loves this baby so much, he won't miss the birth."

Two hours later a tired looking doctor entered the waiting room, "The family of Thomas Merlyn?"

Everyone in their group stood up and huddled around the doctor. "We're Tommy's family." Oliver held out his hand, "Oliver Queen and this is Felicity Smoak." The doctor looked at Oliver and Felicity appraisingly. Oliver was sure that the doctor knew who they were and what they were to Tommy.

The doctor smiled kindly, "He's in recovery and will be moving to the ICU shortly. Tommy lost a lot of blood. There was a great deal of internal bleeding and we had to remove his spleen. He has a broken arm and four broken ribs. The good news is that he didn't receive any head trauma. The next twenty-four hours will be critical. We need to be mindful of blood clots and any bleeding we might've missed."

"Can we see him?" Felicity asked with her eyes wet with tears.

"Once he moves to ICU a nurse will come and get you," the surgeon said sympathetically.

"Thank you, doctor," Oliver shook the surgeon's hand.

The doctor had taken several steps away before he turned and asked, "Did they get the bastards who did this to him?"

"Yeah," Dig answered.

The doctor nodded his head, "Good."

Thea grabbed her purse and started to walk away, "Speedy, where are you going?"

"I'm going to call Dr. Lam and remind him whose name is practically on this hospital," Thea declared with her head held high. "Tommy is going to get the best of everything."

An hour later a nurse led Felicity and Oliver into the ICU. "Oh, God," Felicity cried covering her mouth with her hand as she took in Tommy's injuries. She was instantly at Tommy's bedside trying to find a part of his body that wasn't covered in a bruise. Felicity kissed his shoulder, "Oliver and I are here. You're safe."

The nurse handed Oliver two plastic bags. One held Tommy's clothing and shoes, the other his wallet, cell, cuff links, watch and wedding ring. Oliver removed the wedding ring and slipped it on his own ring finger. He dropped the bags in a chair and moved to Tommy's side. He kissed Tommy's forehead, "Hey buddy, you put up a good fight and you protected our girl and our baby. Do you hear me? They're fine. We even have a new picture for you."

Oliver turned his eyes to Tommy's body to catalogue his injuries. He lowered the blanket to Tommy's waist and his eyes blurred from what he saw. His fingers gently traced the purple blossoming along Tommy's ribs and chest. A large incision ran from his sternum to his groin. Oliver uncovered Tommy's legs and ran his hands down his husband's lithe runner's physique as he felt for injuries. He knew from the footage that Tommy had managed to get himself into a fetal position and had protected his head with his arms and stomach with his legs. He knew that Tommy's back had to look worse than his chest. Oliver covered Tommy back up. From experience, he also knew that Tommy's recovery wouldn't be an easy one.

Felicity had remained with her hand on Tommy's shoulder as she stared at his swollen face. Oliver came up behind her and kissed the top of her head, "He's going to be fine."

"How can we do this?" Felicity asked in a small voice.

Oliver was at a loss for what she was asking, "Do what?"

"Have a baby?" she whispered.

Oliver didn't want her going down a dark path about their decision to have a child, "Felicity, we're having a baby. It's too late for questions now."

"You weren't there, Oliver. You didn't hear the hateful things they said about us - about you." Her hands moved protectively over her stomach, "I think if they knew that I was pregnant they would've attacked me instead."

Oliver turned her so she was facing him, "Felicity."

"They had so much hate for us. Look what they did to our Tommy. What if they do that to our baby?"

"No one is going to hurt our baby."

"You can't promise that, Oliver." She turned back to Tommy, "How do we protect our baby from hate?"

Oliver wrapped his arms around her so his hands were covering her stomach. He kissed the top of her head, "By loving him or her. No baby is going to be loved more than ours. No baby is going to be wanted more than ours. You're right that we won't be able to protect our baby from hurtful words, but those words won't be as powerful as how much the three of us love this baby."

 

Oliver was lightly dozing when he thought he heard Tommy's voice. His eyes flew open and he leaned forward in his chair. Tommy's eyes were closed but he appeared to be wincing in pain. Oliver stood up and gently stroked Tommy's head. Tommy's features instantly relaxed at the sound of Oliver's voice, "Tommy, you're safe. Can you open your eyes?"

"Ollie," Tommy rasped.

"Yeah, buddy. I'm right here." Oliver placed his hand on Tommy's shoulder, "Tommy, open your eyes for me."

Tommy's eyelids struggled to open for what seemed like forever until two slivers of blue looked at Oliver. Tommy gave Oliver a small smile, "Where am I?"

"You're at Starling General," Oliver said gently. "Do you remember what happened?"

Tommy's eyes grew wide and he attempted to sit up before the pain from his injuries had him collapsing against the bed. "Felicity," he gasped through painful tears. His eyes searched the room for sign of their wife.

"Ssshh. Tommy, Felicity is fine.  She went home an hour ago. Dig practically had to wrestle her into the car so she’d get some sleep in a real bed." Oliver reached for Tommy's morphine drip and pressed the rapid release button.

Tommy's eyes fluttered as the morphine kicked in. He reached for Oliver, "The baby?"

Oliver smiled and kissed Tommy's forehead, "Our baby is fine." He reached into his wallet and retrieved the copy of Felicity's most recent ultrasound. "Look," he held up the picture, "it's a new scan of our baby. Everything is fine."

Tommy reached for the picture with a trembling hand. He brought the picture close to his face and his eyes narrowed to get a better look. Tears began to stream down his face. He lowered the picture to his chest. "I was so afraid," he whispered. "She fell and I couldn't get to her. I thought they were going to hurt her and the baby once they were done with me."

"Hey, hey," Oliver sat carefully on the edge of the bed and covered Tommy's hand with his own, "they're both fine. You kept them safe until Roy and I got there."

"Are they dead?" Tommy asked bitterly.

"No, four of them have been arraigned and were denied bail. The fifth had surgery today. You broke his jaw," Oliver said with a little pride.

“How long have I been out?” Tommy asked with heavy eyelids.

“Twenty-nine hours,” Oliver replied.

Tommy's hand grabbed Oliver when he moved to stand, "Where are you going?"

"I'm going to let the nurses know that you're awake and then I'm going to call our wife and our sister." Oliver softly kissed Tommy's lips, "I'll be right back."

"Ollie," Tommy held out his hand and gestured for his husband to return to his side.

Oliver took Tommy's hand, "Yeah, buddy?"

Tommy swallowed heavily, "They knew who we were."

"Tommy, everyone knows who we are." Oliver brushed the hair from Tommy's eyes, "They just recognized your handsome face."

"No," Tommy shook his head, "no. I think they were looking for me - us."

Oliver sat back on the edge of the bed, "What are you saying?"

"I got a good look at them. They didn't just stumble upon us." Tommy's eyes drooped and he blinked them in an attempt to not surrender to the morphine's effects, "What were they doing in that neighborhood? Ollie, I think someone hired them." His fingers gripped Oliver, "Where's Felicity? Is she alone?"

"Roy and Thea are with her." Oliver gently caressed Tommy's cheek, "Who would want to hurt you?"

Tommy's lips curled in a small smile, "We haven't heard from Malcolm in awhile."

Oliver watched Tommy's breath even out as he started to fall asleep. He brushed his lips against Tommy's, "Sleep. I promise, I'll look into it."

It was bad enough when Oliver had believed that Tommy and Felicity had been in the wrong place at the wrong time, but if someone was targeting them he needed to figure out who it was before they tried again.

 

“Look again,” Oliver said to Roy as he leaned over his shoulder.

The younger man sighed, “This would go a lot faster if Felicity was doing this and you weren’t breathing on my neck.”

Oliver stood up and took a step back from Felicity’s chair, “Sorry, I just don’t want Felicity to know about this unless she has to. Stress hormones aren’t good for the baby and she’s already worried about Tommy.”

“Oliver,” Dig said gently, “do you really think Malcolm had anything to do with this? Lance questioned these guys and they’re just your basic homophobes. They denied that anyone hired them.”

I know, which is why I’m having Roy look for a money trail.” Oliver turned away from the look of concern on Dig’s face, “I know it isn’t likely, but I’ve learned to trust Tommy’s instincts when it comes to Malcolm. He was right about Malcolm being alive after we all thought he died.”

Dig placed a comforting hand onto Oliver’s shoulder, “Sometimes it’s easier to believe in the boogeyman than the truth. Unfortunately, terrible things happen for reasons that have nothing to do with Malcolm Merlyn. These guys might’ve just randomly come upon Tommy and Felicity because they chose a different bar to drink in on the night that Tommy and Felicity decided to go for a walk for ice-cream. You’re all public figures and easily recognizable. They might’ve just taken advantage of an opportunity.”

Oliver knew that Dig was right. It was easier to believe that Malcolm had orchestrated the assault than to believe that random strangers would want to hurt Tommy or Felicity. If it really was a random attack, then there were other people out there who could attack his spouses because of who they loved. “Keep looking,” he told Roy.

 

“I think that’s a penis,” Tommy squinted at the ultrasound picture in his hand.

Thea laughed from her perch next to her brother in his hospital bed, “I’m pretty sure that’s an arm.” She reached over to his night table and grabbed his reading glasses, “Put these on.”

Tommy put his reading glasses back on and resumed studying the grainy black and white photos of his child. The glasses didn’t help him make any more sense of the pictures, but if he was stuck in a hospital bed, he might as well put his time to good use. Figuring out the sex of his child seemed like a better use of his time than watching daytime television, “I still think it’s a penis.”

“Tommy,” Thea took the picture from his hand and stared at it, “if that’s his penis, I think your son has a future in porno.” She laughed when her brother wrinkled his nose. She traced the appendage in question, “Look, that’s an arm, a shoulder, a neck, a head.”

He could kind of make out what Thea was pointing to, “It would be so much easier if Felicity would just let us find out.”

“Do you want it to be a boy?” Thea asked with all seriousness.

He shook his head, “No, I just want it to be healthy and happy.”

“So, why do you want to know so badly?”

He shrugged, “I don’t know, I’m tired of calling my child, it. I think if I know if it is a son or a daughter it will start to feel real.”

“It doesn’t feel real now?”

Tommy took the pictures from Thea, “It feels more like a dream that I might wake up from.”

Thea covered her brother’s hand, “Everything is going to be fine. Your baby is going to be healthy and so happy everyone will be super annoyed by it.” Thea rested her head against his shoulder, “When mom was pregnant with me, did you and Ollie want me to be a boy or girl or did you just want me to be happy and healthy.”

“Oh, we totally wanted you to be a boy,” he grinned. “We had such plans to turn you into our minion. Instead we got this tiny little pink thing with big hazel eyes who turned us into her minions.”

“Do you still wish I was a boy?” Thea asked, only half teasing.

He kissed her temple, “Not from the moment I first held you in my arms and I know that Ollie feels the same way too.”

 

“What are you doing here?” Felicity asked accusingly as her heels clanged loudly off the metal stairs. “The men who assaulted us have all been arrested and charged. There is no reason for you to be avoiding Tommy and the hospital.”

Oliver looked up from where he was seated in front of her monitors, “Tommy thinks it was Malcolm.”

Felicity stopped in her tracks, “What?”

“Tommy’s gut is telling him that his dad hired those guys to assault him,” Oliver returned his attention back to her monitors.

“Is there any proof?” Felicity pushed Oliver’s shoulder and he got out of her chair.

“Roy and I have been looking, but we can’t find evidence that your assailants received payment of any kind.” Oliver ran his hand over his tired eyes, “A.R.G.U.S. is trying to locate Malcolm, but so far, they haven’t had any success.”

“Why would Malcolm hire someone to beat up Tommy? That makes no sense,” Felicity pulled up the files Oliver and Roy had created for the men who attacked them.

“Trading Tommy to Ra’s al Ghul made sense?” Oliver asked.

She turned to face him, “In a strange way, yes. Malcolm is all about helping Malcolm. How would an assault on Tommy be beneficial to Malcolm?”

Oliver’s shoulders sagged with defeat, “I don’t know, but Tommy seemed certain of it.”

“Sending wedding gifts with creepy messages is Malcolm’s style now. Not having his son beaten almost to death by hired thugs,” Felicity tried to reason.

“Yeah, he prefers to do that himself.”

“Hey,” Felicity said as she rose from her chair, “what’s going on with you?”

“Tommy almost died. You were hurt. We could’ve lost our baby and I don’t know why or how,” Oliver replied with frustration.

“Sometimes bad things just happen. Not everything is Malcolm Merlyn’s fault.”

Oliver frowned, “That’s what Dig said.”

“Dig is usually right,” Felicity said gently as she placed her hand on his chest.

“So is Tommy when it comes to his dad,” Oliver wrapped his arms around her. “If I chalk this up to bad people doing bad things to good people and it turns out to be Malcolm and he tries again,” Oliver swallowed heavily, “I’ll have failed him again.”

“Oh, Oliver,” Felicity started.

“No, don’t tell me that Tommy doesn’t blame me for any of Malcolm’s choices. That was before you were carrying our child. The press just reported that you’re pregnant. Malcolm knows that he’s about to become a grandfather. I’ve been too complacent about your safety. I need to know where he is at all times.”

“Let’s be logical about this,” Felicity took him by the hands and led him to a chair. When he sat down she pulled a chair up so she was facing him. “We don’t know if you or Tommy is the biological father of our child. DNA seems pretty important to Malcolm. He’s not going to do anything until he knows for sure who the father is.”

“That doesn’t make me feel any better,” Oliver stood up from his chair. “Do you honestly think he’ll be patient and wait another five months to find out?”

“Oliver,” she said patiently.

“What good am I if I can’t protect the people that I love? What’s the point of doing all of this,” he gestured to his uniform and bow, “if I can’t keep you safe?”

“Tommy and I aren’t with you for your marksmanship. We’re with you because we love you.” Felicity tugged on the front of his shirt, “We don’t expect or want you to control everything.”

Tears pooled in Oliver’s eyes, “And if something happens to our child, can you look me in the eyes and tell me that you and Tommy won’t blame me for not stopping it?”

Felicity wiped the tears from her eyes, “I can honestly say that the only person who will be blaming you will be you.”

Oliver pointed to her computers, “Find Merlyn,” and ran up the stairs.

“Go see Tommy,” she shouted after him.

 

Felicity had no luck finding Malcolm or linking any of their assailants with Malcolm or any other deep pocket. She was unhappy that she was arriving after Tommy’s evening shot of pain killer. He would be sound asleep before she got to see him. She was texting Oliver to tell him that she was at the hospital when she stepped into Tommy’s room. Her hand reflexively went to her stomach to protect her child. “What are you doing here?” she asked for the second time that night.

Malcolm was standing over Tommy. He held one of Tommy’s hands in his and ran the fingers of his other hand through Tommy’s hair, “I’ve come to see my son.”

“Did you do this to him?” she asked as she closed Tommy’s door behind her.

Malcolm turned his red rimmed eyes towards her, “Of course not. I’d never hurt my son.”

Felicity snorted in disbelief, “That would be moving if I didn’t know how untrue that statement is. Would you like me to start listing all of the times you’ve hurt my husband?”

“I know you don’t care for me and you think that I’m a monster, but I’m his father,” Malcolm turned his attention back to Tommy.

“You were nothing more than a sperm donor,” Felicity hissed.

“I am his father and I love him,” Malcolm said with a raised voice.

“You don’t know what love is. I don’t think you’re even capable of it.”

“The men who attacked you, you will never need to worry about them again,” Malcolm promised.

Felicity’s blood ran cold. She had no love for the men who put Tommy in the hospital, but her family didn’t need the complication of Malcolm taking revenge or trying to silence witnesses, “They’re going to jail, we don’t need your brand of justice.”

“No one hurts my family and gets away with it,” he said.

“Except for you,” Felicity said coldly. “You actually have a talent for it.”

Malcolm picked up Felicity’s latest ultrasound from the table beside Tommy’s bed, “Am I having a grandson or a granddaughter?”

“You’re not having either,” Felicity removed the pictures from his hands and put herself between him and Tommy.

Malcolm’s eyes registered surprise, “Then the baby is Oliver’s?”

Felicity stared at him stone-faced, “Get out and don’t ever come back.”

He kissed Tommy’s forehead. “If you’re carrying a Merlyn in your womb, there is no power on this earth that will keep me from my grandchild. Tell my son that I’m glad he’s alive and congratulations on his impending fatherhood.” Malcolm opened the door to the hallway, “Good evening, Felicity.”

Felicity looked down at her shaking hands and realized that the pictures of her ultrasound were gone. Their baby wasn’t even born yet and the magician had already stolen a part of it. She dropped into the chair beside Tommy’s bed to call Oliver. She retrieved her cell from her purse only to find a message from her step-father, _All five assailants found dead in their cells. Cause of death – green arrows._

**Author's Note:**

> Thank you for reading. Kudos and comments are always welcomed and appreciated. Hearing from you is my favorite part of the day.
> 
> Any ideas or prompts for what you'd like to read in this universe are always welcome. You have been sharing some great ideas - please keep them coming.
> 
> On another note, I launched my new Olicity fic, The Sword and The Shield, under my other author name - wordscreatereality. If you are so inclined, I'd love for you to join me on this season 3 rewrite. Chapter 3 will be posted on Sunday. http://archiveofourown.org/works/7008718/chapters/15959470


End file.
